Investigations & data @PittsburghPG. Co-author of Gone at 3:17, the story of America's deadliest school disaster (amzn.to/1RaCLuk). Underwater whenever possible
Articles by Mike Wereschagin
The tragic death of a Pennsylvania Amish woman stricken by measles
LEWISTOWN, Pa — In an aging, white Pennsylvania farmhouse at the end of a long gravel driveway, the Amish couple brought their 18-year-old daughter home to die. She had just been released from the intensive care unit at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, her brain swelling from the measles infection that had ravaged her body for weeks. Breathing faintly and hooked to a feeding tube, "there was nothing they could do," said her mother. The next day, on Sept.
Trump and Shapiro face high-stakes political tests in Pennsylvania's midterm election
DALLAS — Just two years ago, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris tried to convince a skeptical public that economic fortunes were on the rise as they worked to keep the White House in Democratic hands. Voters didn’t feel it, though, and gave Pennsylvania’s crucial 19 electoral votes to Donald Trump, with many citing economic concerns as their top issue.
'It's all hands on deck' as Pennsylvania records first 2 measles deaths in more than 3 decades
In a massive measles outbreak that has spread across Pennsylvania, two unvaccinated people have died after contracting the disease — the first deaths related to the illness in the United States this year. The fatalities are also the first in Pennsylvania since a surge in cases more than three decades ago that left nine children dead and hundreds of people sickened.
Vaccine enforcement gaps in Pennsylvania charter schools put thousands of children at risk
With Pennsylvania steeped in one of the largest measles outbreaks in the country, charter schools across the state are allowing children into classes without the required vaccines or the exemptions to avoid the shots, posing critical risks to thousands of students.
Pa. measles outbreak has reached Allegheny County
Commonwealth Media Services, Anthony Grove The state, as of Wednesday, had reported 340 cases this year — with 75 in the past week Hanna Webster & Jimmy Cloutier Got a news tip? 412-263-1601 Aug 20, 2026 8:44 PM Measles has reached Allegheny County, a UPMC spokesperson confirmed Thursday.
Measles outbreak intensifies across Pennsylvania
With thousands of Pennsylvania students about to embark on another school year, the measles outbreak is intensifying at a remarkable rate, spreading to two more counties and infecting more than two dozen people in just the past week. At least 167 people have been sickened this year — the fifth highest number of cases of any state — as Pennsylvania health officials wage a widening battle to stem the virus. So far, 32 people have been hospitalized, including young children.
The viral online attack on Pittsburgh doctors that sparked a national debate over vaccines
One by one, the faces of the doctors splashed across the screen in a dramatic video created to reach thousands of viewers with a simple message. The HPV vaccine can save your life. It can beat back the cells of cancer. It can ultimately cut down on the thousands of deaths taking place each year in the country impacting mostly women. "We wanted to create a conversation," said Todd Wolynn, a longtime pediatrician who was a member of the group that launched the 90-second video in 2017.
Pennsylvania measles cases surpass 100, now spreading in 7 counties
Pennsylvania has surpassed 100 measles cases this year — a grim milestone reached this week as a dozen new infections were confirmed by state health officials. Most of the cases — 89 — are tied to an ongoing outbreak that started in Lebanon County in late April and has since spread to six other counties across central and southeastern Pennsylvania.
Lingering distrust, low vaccine rates threaten containment of Lancaster measles outbreak
LANCASTER, Pa. — A growing distrust of health professionals seems to be undermining their efforts in central and southeastern Pennsylvania to stop the state’s worst measles outbreak in more than three decades. “It’s becoming more and more them versus us as opposed to us being on the same team,” Dr. Joan Thode, who practices at Roseville Pediatrics in Lancaster, said of those who question vaccine safety.
As Pa. measles outbreak worsens, state health officials issue strong call to action: 'We are not just sitting back and watching this virus spread'
LANCASTER, Pa. — State Health Secretary Debra Bogen on Friday issued a strong call to action in the wake of a measles outbreak not seen in Pennsylvania in more than 30 years. “We are not just sitting back and watching this virus spread,” she said at Lancaster State Health Center.
Pa. measles cases jump, spread to Northumberland County
An unprecedented measles outbreak in the state has spread to an additional county, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced Wednesday. Health officials confirmed six measles cases in Northumberland County, just north of Harrisburg. Another two cases were confirmed in Lancaster over the last two days, bringing the statewide total this year to 81 — the highest number in more than 30 years. Since Monday, 14 total cases have been reported in the state.
How Pennsylvania lawmakers are trying to tighten school vaccine exemptions as measles cases spike
With the spread of dangerous childhood diseases rising across Pennsylvania, top lawmakers say they want to rein in the legal exemptions that have allowed students to avoid school vaccines and placed hundreds of classrooms at risk. The legislators say they want parents to seek the guidance of a healthcare provider before getting the waivers, saying families should be informed about the risks before allowing their children to skip the vaccines.
Amid a measles resurgence, Pennsylvania leaders say plunging vaccine rates in thousands of schools will be made public Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By Michael D. Sallah, Jimmy Cloutier, Hanna Webster and Mike Wereschagin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette As measles cases in Pennsylvania spike to levels not seen in decades, state officials say they will disclose the vaccination rates in classrooms across the state in a move that will allow parents to track the safety of their children’s schools.
Amid a measles resurgence, Pennsylvania leaders say plunging vaccine rates in thousands of schools will be made public
As measles cases in Pennsylvania spike to levels not seen in decades, state officials say they will disclose the vaccination rates in classrooms across the state in a move that will allow parents to track the safety of their children’s schools.
As vaccination rates plunge in Pennsylvania schools, measles cases surge in largest outbreak in three decades
LANCASTER — Day after day, cases of measles are spiraling in Pennsylvania: Three people hospitalized and 16 others sickened by the highly infectious disease in Lebanon County. Two students from a Mennonite school falling ill in neighboring Lancaster County. In just the past six weeks, the virus has spread to more than three dozen people in both counties — 22 in the last week — in an outbreak that has spurred state health agents to track the infections and try to rein in the disease.
Pa. Supreme Court justice defends independence after criticizing Democratic Party
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — In early May, a Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice made an unexpected announcement: He was leaving the Democratic Party.
Pennsylvania schools shared widely debunked vaccine claims with thousands of parents
With vaccination rates plummeting in Pennsylvania schools and the nation on the verge of a massive measles outbreak, state health officials three years ago created a sweeping plan to drive up protections for thousands of children. Armed with millions of federal dollars, they launched a statewide advertising campaign that touted vaccines as critical safeguards to fight disease.
Measles cases continue to spread in Pa., hitting the highest number since 1991
As vaccination rates plummet in hundreds of schools across Pennsylvania, state health officials say 32 cases of measles have been reported so far this year — the highest total since 1991. Twenty of those cases are part of an ongoing outbreak that started in Lebanon County over the past month and has spread to three other counties: Berks, Dauphin and Lancaster.
Pennsylvania lawmakers: Falling school vaccine rates need to be made public
With hundreds of children sickened by measles nationwide, top Pennsylvania lawmakers say the state needs to disclose the vaccination rates of all schools to protect the most vulnerable students and warn the public when critical protections fail. In just five years, the number of children immunized against measles in Pennsylvania has fallen to levels that medical experts say pose risks to students in every corner of the state. “This issue is too important,” said state Rep.
11 measles cases are confirmed in Pa.'s Lebanon County
Pennsylvania health officials confirmed Wednesday that Lebanon County has 11 new cases of measles, with three hospitalizations. Nearly all of the measles diagnoses in the state this year have been in unvaccinated individuals, said state health officials. The outbreak comes as Pennsylvania recovers from a dozen measles cases that were reported earlier this year in Lancaster, Montgomery and Chester counties — and as vaccination rates plummet in hundreds of schools across the state.
How Pa.'s falling school vaccination rates and enforcement failures put thousands of children at risk
By Jimmy Cloutier, Michael D. Sallah, Mike Wereschagin and Hanna Webster | POST-GAZETTE Melissa Dai, Isaiah Steinberg | MEDILL INVESTIGATIVE LAB, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY April 19, 2026 Just two years after a deadly outbreak of polio raged across the country, the children lined up in the basement gymnasium of a Pittsburgh elementary school for what became the largest medical experiment in America.
Post-Gazette investigation of government enforcement failures in coal mining industry receives national recognition
Benjamin B. Braun/Post-Gazette Joint project with Medill Investigative Lab is semifinalist for 2026 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Got a news tip?
Deadly Toxic Trail: Thousands of miners left in danger by critical enforcement gaps
In the battle against one of the deadliest outbreaks of black lung disease in decades, the federal mine inspectors play a critical role: testing the coal dust levels in the vast underground tunnels to protect the lives of the workers. In case after case, the inspectors found the air posed no dangers to the miners who were allowed to keep working in what were believed to be safe conditions.
Coal miners with black lung fight Trump administration rollback of safety protections
|
Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press Carolyn Kaster and Margie Mason Associated Press OAK HILL, W.Va. — Deep in the hills of West Virginia, coal mining and the dangers that come with it have been a part of families’ lives for generations. Death and tragedy are woven into history, but there’s also a fierce legacy of miners fighting for — and winning — protections that have benefitted workers nationwide.
By Michael Sallah Verified, Mike Wereschagin Verified, Jimmy Cloutier, Anavi Prakash, Carolyn Kaster Verified, Margie Mason
|
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Verified
Deadly Dust: Missed inspections, enforcement failures imperil the lives of coal miners
Deep in the earth's crust, the toxic substance rises in the air as miners drill into massive layers of rock. As they work the controls of the big machines, dust from the ancient sandstone fills the caverns and slips into the nose and mouth, down the throat and into the chest. A stealth intruder, the tiny particles invade the pink membranes of the lungs, posing incalculable harm to workers who are prone to developing the most dreaded disease of their time: black lung.
Cryptocurrency firm among dark money donors in race for Pittsburgh mayor
For cryptocurrency investors, the Blockchain Innovation Project promotes itself as a fierce advocate “against the political forces in Washington seeking to destroy the industry.” Led by two prominent former members of Congress and headquartered just a few blocks from the White House, the nonprofit’s website urges people to donate to its cause and says “no funds will be earmarked or reserved for any political purpose.” But in late April, as the Democratic primary between Mayor Ed Gainey and...
PG investigation: How dark money flooded the race for Pittsburgh mayor
With just weeks left in a grueling Democratic primary election that could shape Pittsburgh’s future, mayoral challenger Corey O’Connor’s dominant lead was slipping away as the incumbent seized the momentum. With help from progressive supporters, Mayor Ed Gainey ramped up his campaign. He launched a high-profile tour that showcased affordable housing projects carried out during his administration that had become a defining issue in the historic race.
Voting breakdown shows Ed Gainey's defeat in Pittsburgh's historic mayoral primary was marked by deep divides
Four years ago, as former Mayor Bill Peduto was fighting to hold onto the top job in the city, a political tide driven by the left wing of his party was rising to overwhelm his bid for a third term. From Lawrenceville to Highland Park, and Squirrel Hill to Point Breeze, some of the bastions of Pittsburgh’s liberalism were abandoning the man who had once called himself the first progressive mayor of a major rust-belt city.
Analysis: Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey's stunning primary defeat highlights era of political upheaval
A historic mayoral administration met a stunning end on Tuesday as Democratic voters ousted the city’s first Black mayor as their nominee for the November ballot. In the first high-profile loss for the progressive juggernaut that has reshaped the region’s politics in recent years, Mayor Ed Gainey lost his primary to Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor.
What to expect in Pennsylvania's primary elections
Pennsylvania’s two largest cities will hold primaries Tuesday for high-profile municipal offices, while voters across the commonwealth will choose nominees for statewide appellate court judgeships. The election is a prelude to November, when voters could scramble partisan control of the state Supreme Court. The primaries in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh will have added significance because the eventual Democratic nominees will be heavily favored in the general election.
Pittsburgh at a tipping point in high-stakes race for mayor
A budget on the brink. A crisis in affordable housing. A Democratic Party fighting over how to win back voters — and using Pittsburgh as its battleground. As the raucous, hard-fought campaign between Mayor Ed Gainey and Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Conner barrels toward its end Tuesday, the city faces an inflection point unlike any it has seen in decades.
Falling revenue, soaring costs threaten Pittsburgh's financial future
May 4-For city leaders, the internal report one year ago was startling: Pittsburgh's finances, despite the glowing claims of some elected officials, were on the brink of disaster. Revenues were plummeting. Expenses were rising. Without a major course correction, the city could drain its bank account as early as 2027 - a threat it had not faced since the darkest days of state receivership decades earlier.
Pittsburgh facing ‘imminent’ financial crisis over falling revenue, soaring costs
For city leaders, the internal report one year ago was startling: Pittsburgh’s finances, despite the glowing claims of some elected officials, were on the brink of disaster. Revenues were plummeting. Expenses were rising. Without a major course correction, the city could drain its bank account as early as 2027 — a threat it had not faced since the darkest days of state receivership decades earlier.
PG Special Report: Feds slash landmark law that targeted billions in dirty dollars
The firm that poured millions of dollars into a massive steel factory in the heart of Appalachia had no office, no phone, no website, nor any employees. To nearly everyone, Veroni Alloys LLC, was a mystery. In an elaborate scheme, the company moved the money through a network of more than a dozen bank accounts to finance the purchase of the bustling facility that had employed generations of steelworkers, records show.
Trump wants to reverse coal's long decline. It won't be easy.
President Donald Trump last week issued executive orders designed to revive the use of coal in power plants, a practice that has been steadily declining for more than a decade. But the effort is likely to fail, energy experts said, because the fossil fuel faces some hurdles. The power that coal plants produce typically can't compete with cheaper, cleaner alternatives. And many plants that burn coal are simply too old and would need extensive and expensive upgrades to continue running.
What to know about Cody Balmer and the Passover attack on Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Harrisburg home
A 38-year-old man from Harrisburg set fire to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s mansion early Sunday, hours after the state’s first family celebrated the first night of Passover, according to police. What to know • Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg was charged with attempted homicide, arson and terrorism. • Police said Balmer used beer bottles filled with gasoline to set fire to the governor's mansion. • Balmer said he would have beaten with Shapiro with a hammer if he encountered Mr. Shaprio, police said.
Man who set fire to Shapiro's home harbored 'hatred' toward governor, told police he would have beaten him
A Harrisburg man said he was harboring a “hatred” toward Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro when he walked an hour from his home to the Governor’s Mansion, broke into the property and tossed several incendiary devices that caught the home on fire while the governor, his wife and guests were inside early Sunday morning, causing significant damage hours after the family had celebrated the beginning of Passover, according to court documents.
Deep cuts in coal mine safety protections threaten miners
A group of prominent U.S. senators is demanding answers about the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to a mine health and safety agency whose largest office is just outside Pittsburgh. The Democratic senators - including John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Mark Warner of Virginia - warned in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that the layoffs of hundreds of federal researchers and investigators could endanger the lives of coal miners throughout Appalachia.
Coal miners' health and safety on the chopping block amid drastic staffing cuts
Amanda Lawson’s 45th birthday gift to herself was a new tattoo. Her right forearm now bears a coal miner’s helmet shining a light with the words: “When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat.” For Ms. Lawson, a black lung benefits counselor in West Virginia, the quote from former President Ronald Reagan represents the battle she has been fighting for the past seven years: helping miners with the disease get critical benefits and protections.
Senators: Deep cuts in coal mine safety protections threaten miners
A group of prominent U.S. senators is demanding answers about the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to a mine health and safety agency whose largest office is just outside Pittsburgh. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Get complete access for 24 hours to all of the content on our site, including breaking news, e-editions, archives (2010 to current) and special sections.
Deep cuts in coal mine safety protections threaten miners, senators - including Fetterman - warn RFK Jr.
Democratic lawmakers demand answers about hundreds of layoffs at mine health and safety agency A group of prominent U.S. senators is demanding answers about the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to a mine health and safety agency whose largest office is just outside Pittsburgh. The Democratic senators — including John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Mark Warner of Virginia — warned in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.
Senators: Deep cuts in coal mine safety protections threaten miners
A group of prominent U.S. senators is demanding answers about the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to a mine health and safety agency whose largest office is just outside Pittsburgh. The Democratic senators — including John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Mark Warner of Virginia — warned in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that the layoffs of hundreds of federal researchers and investigators could endanger the lives of coal miners throughout Appalachia.
Deep fear in coal country: DOGE cuts put region's miners and families on edge
For federal safety inspectors, the urgent call to their sprawling mining office near Pittsburgh was bleak: Man crushed in the rubble of an aging mine in the heart of coal country. Agents from the Mount Pleasant office arrived at the scene shortly after the body of Joseph Guzzo Jr. had been pulled from under the massive chunk of earth that collapsed in the mine tunnel four years ago.
Pardoned for Jan. 6, 'Pink Hat Lady' came home to a new reality in Western Pa.
On her 15th day of freedom as a pardoned participant in the Jan. 6 riot, Rachel Powell drove through western Pennsylvania to the county courthouse in Franklin. She needed to check off applying for a gun permit from her homecoming to-do list.
Gov. Shapiro staked a claim to the political center
For the 51-year-old from Montgomery County, his budget address came at a pivotal moment in American history as the new Trump administration embarks on a sweeping effort to remake the federal government in starkly conservative terms. Democratic leaders around the country have been forced to confront what Maryland Gov.
Analysis: With his highly anticipated budget address, Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro staked a claim to the political center
Just months after voters delivered a devastating rebuke to his party in November, and as Democrats around the country are searching for someone to lead them out of the political wilderness, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro faced a deeply divided Legislature in the country's largest swing state and made his pitch.
With his highly anticipated budget address, Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro staked a claim to the political center
Just months after voters delivered a devastating rebuke to his party in November, and as Democrats around the country are searching for someone to lead them out of the political wilderness, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro faced a deeply divided Legislature in the country's largest swing state and made his pitch.
Analysis: With his highly anticipated budget address, Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro staked a claim to the political center
Just months after voters delivered a devastating rebuke to his party in November, and as Democrats around the country are searching for someone to lead them out of the political wilderness, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro faced a deeply divided Legislature in the country's largest swing state and made his pitch.
What's in Gov. Josh's Shapiro's 2025-2026 budget proposal for Pa?
A total of $51.47 billion has been earmarked as part of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2025-2026 budget proposal — a non-binding proposal that will still be subject to much partisan jockeying over the coming months — which he laid out during a joint session of the state House and Senate at the Capitol, Tuesday in Harrisburg. So what’s in the proposal that, if enacted as is, would see a 7% increase in expenditures from the current year? What are the Pa. budget proposal numbers based on?
With his highly anticipated budget address, Gov. Josh Shapiro staked a claim to the political center
Continue reading More for You
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Mike
Contact Mike, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack